7/02/2008

Convertibles don’t come much more exclusive than Rolls-Royce’s Phantom Drophead Coupé. And with a price tag of £305,000, it’s a rare sight on UK roads – but that’s not enough for one super-rich collector, who has commissioned this unique machine from legendary Italian coachbuilder Pininfarina.

The one-off car will get a completely new body, as you can see from this striking teaser image. Said to be inspired by pre-war Rolls-Royce models such as the original Phantom, it promises to be even more imposing than the official machine thanks to an aerodynamic shape featuring a swept-back windscreen and sculpted flanks.

Rumour has it that the car will carry a fitting badge, too – Hyperion, which comes from ancient Greek mythology and means ‘the god of the sun’. As well as a unique body, the Hyperion is likely to get a bespoke cabin – although it will be interesting to see how Pininfarina ‘improves’ on the already incredibly luxurious four-seater interior of the existing Drophead Coupé.

One area of the car that the coachbuilder is unlikely to touch is the mechanicals. The Hyperion will be powered by the standard 453bhp 6.75-litre V12 engine, resulting in a 0-60mph time of around six seconds and a top speed approaching 150mph.

Given the price of the ‘basic’ Phantom Drophead Coupé, it’s difficult to imagine just how costly the bespoke Rolls-Royce will be – but we suspect that the unnamed owner will be lucky to see any change from £1million. However, the Hyperion is not the first enormously expensive coachbuilt car. It follows in the footsteps of the Ferrari P4/5, a Ferrari Enzo rebodied by Pininfarina in the style of the Prancing Horse’s Sixties’ racers at the request of a US stock magnate, James Glickenhaus.

Not including the ‘donor’ Enzo, the project is rumoured to have cost around £2m. Meanwhile, the wraps are expected to come off the hand-built Hyperion at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in the US in August.